Shoe lace clasp



March 17, 1959 K. P. SIMPSON SHOE LACE CLASP Filed Feb. 27, 1956 1N VENTOR liwzvzlaiPJkawon United States Patent SHOE LACE CLASP Kenneth P. Simpson, Enid, Okla. Application February 27, 1956, Serial No. 567,903 4 c1. 24-120 This invention relates generally to securing devices and more particularly to a clasp for tied shoe strings or laces.

Devices of this general type are known in the art but as a whole, are characterized by a number of objectionable features. Among these are an unnecessary complexity of structure or operation; a need for special or unconventional tying of the laces or of weaving them in or out of the working parts of the device; a poor design resulting in the failure of the device to securely hold the laces in tied position; the use of prongs which damage the shoe, the laces, or both; and a need for a special shoe design in order to mount the device thereon.

Accordingly the chief object of the present invention is to provide an improved clasp for shoe laces which will obviate the above and other objectionable features characterizing known structures.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved clasp for tied shoe laces which may be readily applied to or removed from the laces and which will hold them securely tied when in operative position.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide an improved clasp for shoe laces which includes an operating portion that hides the balance of the clasp when in operative position and may hear an ornamental or identifying design, etc., which is attractive in appearance.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved clasp for shoe laces which is simple in construction and operation but rugged and of long life in use and which may be economically and readily manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the device comprising the present invention in closed position;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view thereof in open position;

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the device comprising the present invention taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front perspective view showing the device operative position on a shoe lace bow;

Figure 5 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the device in open position showing how it is slipped over a shoe lace bow; and

Figure 6 is a similar view of the device in closed position, showing how the spaced ears and rear lever firmly clamp the shoe lace bow.

Referring now to the drawings, numeral 10 designates the improved shoe lace clasp as a whole which comprises essentially a plate section 12 and a rear lever 14.

The plate section 12 is formed to include a pair of spaced cars 16 which are rearwardly inclined at an angle 2,877,526 Patented Mar. 17, 1959 of about 45 degrees and then bent backwardly on themselves to form a pair of spaced bearingsv at 18. The ears terminate at 20 against the front upper edge of a decorative plate 22 which may be integral with or fixed to the plate 12.

The decorative plate 22 efiectively conceal the plate 12 and may bear any desired decorative figure, emblem, trademark, etc., so as to present an attractive face for the clasp 10.

A strong spring plate 24 is formed in the upper edge of the plate 12 intermediate and slightly spaced from the ears 16 and is slightly rearwardly inclined. The resilience of the spring plate 24 is somewhat enhanced by removing a circular portion of the plate 12-which is slightly concave at this point-directly below the spring plate 24 as at 26.

The rear or operating lever 14 is narrower than the plate section 12 and curves gently rearwardly upwardly, and forwardly (Figures 5-6) and terminates in a forward, substantially degree bend or hook 28. The upper end of the lever 14 (Figure 4) includes a pair of lateral extensions 3tl acting as pivot pins in the spaced bearings 18 and terminates adjacent thereto in a flat edge 32.

It will be noted that when the clasp 10 is half open or closed that the edge 32 is at right angles to and strongly engaged by the spring plate 24. Thus, further opening or closing movement of the clasp 10 results in the edge 32 being turned off center so that the spring plate 24 snaps the clasp all the way open or closed respectively.

An important feature of the invention resides in the spaced ears 16 which, in addition to acting as a pivot bearing for the lever 14, act to engage the bow B of a tied shoe lace L (Figure 5) and move it into and clamp it against the upper bend 28 of the lever 14 to securely hold it under the action of the spring plate 24 acting on the upper lever edge 32 in the closed clasp position.

It will be noted (Figure 6) that when the clasp 10 is closed, the outer edges of the ears 16 are in the same plane as the inner adjacent surface of the lever 14. Thus, the ears being spaced and the adjacent portion of the lever being equal in width to and aligned with the space between the ears, the bow B of the lace L is twisted or bent to a pronounced and more than slight degree to further insure their being tightly held when the clasp 10 is closed.

The use of the clasp 10 is believed to be apparent. Having tied the shoe lace L in the regular conventional manner, the clasp 10 may be readily opened as the lever 14 projects slightly below the plate section 12 and may be engaged by a thumb nail while the other thumb and index finger hold the edges of the plate section.

With the clasp open and the lever extending downwardly (Figure 5), the lever is slid between the shoe laces L and the tongue T of a shoe S. Downward pressure is now applied on the plate section 12 causing the ears 16 to engage the bow B of the laces L and snap into closed position (Figures 4 and 6). The clasp 10 is obviously removed from the laces L by reversing the above steps.

It will be readily apparent that the clasp 10 may also be used for other laces and as costume jewelry adapted to be clamped to articles of apparel, etc., the material being clasped in some cases merely between and by the plate section 12 and the bottom of the lever 14.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A clasp for shoe and other laces comprising a first member including front and rear faces and having a pair of spaced ears projecting therefrom and a spring plate anvases intermediate said ears, and a second member pivoted at one end to said first member at the base of said ears, the edge of said end engagingtthe front face of said spring plate to urge said clasp to open position or closed posi tion with said second member substantially contacting the rear face of said firstmember, the outer portions of said ears acting to engage and move a lace along said second member and clamp it thereagainst upon relative pivotal movement of said members to closed position of the clasp.

2. A device as recited in claim lwherein said one end of said second member includes a hook, portion into which a lace is moved by said ears.

3. A device as recited in claim 2 wherein said hook portion substantially spans the space between saidear's to effect a maximum clamping action therewith.

4. A device as'recited in claim 2 wherein saidears are "angtilarly'inclinedwithrespect to saidfirst'me'mhe'rto enable the hook end of said second member adjacent its pivot to lie substantially in the plane of said first memher to form a compact claspin closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 592,140 Gross Oct. 19, 1897 754,851 Comp Mar. 15, 1904 319,884 Higgins May 8, 1906 915,176 Hicks Mar. 16, 1909 1,439,241 Hoppe Dec. 19, 1922 1,696,790 Bongiovanni Dec. 25, '1928 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,758 Great Britain July 19, 1901 

